APA President-Elect Melba Vasquez visits Ball State

(10/02/10)

Melba Vasquez, Ph.D., conducted a workshop in Indianapolis on September 30 and spoke to faculty and students about “Competence in Psychotherapy” on the Ball State campus October 1. There were scheduled opportunities to interact with Vasquez during the day.

Vasquez is the president-elect of the American Psychological Association (with over 150,000 members). She will take office as the president on January 1, 2011. Vasquez is a counseling psychologist in private practice in Austin, Texas. She is also a past president of the Texas Psychological Association.

Vasquez has a long history of work in ethics, ethnic minority issues, social justice, and women’s issues. She has over 65 book chapters and journal articles in these areas.

In addition, she has served the psychology profession through leadership in a variety of local, state, regional, and national committees. She has received over 30 awards for service, advocacy, and mentoring. She is a Fellow of eight Divisions of the American Psychological Association (APA).

This event was sponsored by the Ball State psychology departments, the Office of the Provost, Teachers College, and the Office of Institutional Diversity.

It was a unique opportunity to hear and interact with a practicing counseling psychologist and the first Latina president of APA. The majority of past presidents of APA were involved in academia, not solely private practice.